Zodiac Allegiance (IC)

[Captain808]

Jake/Dog​

Before Jake could put down HIS drinks down next to him, the two help themselves to his drinks causing him to look between the two with a face.
"mm hm" Jake says when Saria thanks him before flicking the cap off of his beer and taking a swig "you can say that again" He says leaning over and taking the rum bottle from Ash before taking a large swig before putting it back down. "With out this stupid ass Job, you would be on the worlds most wanted list" Jake says chuckling as he leaned back on his chair. "Let's just get it over with, and maybe we can catch the fights in Tijuana, we would of made bank, if you dident go crouching tiger hidden demon on that idiot with the lucha mask last year" Jake says while he takes the rum again to take another swig but chokes when he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket.

"shit" he says pulling out his phone to see a text before quickly getting up and walking back over to the liquor crate and digging deeper into the ice. After a few secodes he returns to his chair holding a liquor bottle that looked like a skull head. Jake opens the bottle and takes a swig before putting the bottle down and leaning back on his chair and letting out an exhausted sigh "l suggest you two drink up, i don't think were going to have any down time for the next few days"

@tonythetiger @Abu

 

[SolemnOath]

TIME SKIP

Three Days Later
Location: Outskirts of Cairo Egypt ​

The trip from the ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, to Cairo Egypt had been a rather pleasant one. Though admittedly it was lengthy. See, it took some time to arrive back at land, in which they had to take two planes (since the area they landed at didn't have any private jets available for them). Lucky, (at least for those that prefer the finer things in life)with both these plane trips, the group had managed to get first class seats. They were able to avoid screaming kids, tight seats, ungodly BO, and a plethora of other horrors that lurked in the sec-...business class. This was thanks to Sophia, who shockingly enough didn't lose their tickets (she was surprised herself), and had managed to get a flight plan that worked best for the group. Despite how confusing the airlines tended to be.

With the airline being one that didn't have several controversies about mistreatment of their passengers or their possession, the flight didn't put any strain on anyone...…. Other than Ash that is (unless of course, there are others who unfortunately get very/exteremly air sick). This second flight was something even the most luxurious of people would have a hard time to scoff at. Rich foods, clean areas, plenty of space, entertainment and kind staff. Without a doubt, it was a wonderful flight, something that can easily get ones mind off of their troubles or the troubles they were likely going to face.

Upon landing, Zephyr and Sophia had been quick to round up everyone in the group. They made sure nothing nor no one was left behind, anyone that tried to stray from the path would have found one of the agents quickly correcting them. While the process to leave a foreign airport could take a great deal of time, this was the exact opposite of what the group had to deal with. Zephyr merely had to go behind one closed door, and upon returning the group found themselves being able to leave the airport faster than they could leave any of their private jets.

Once they left the airport, they had all been lead to an apartment. One of which wasn't the fanciest thing any of them would have ever seen, but it worked. There was enough room for everyone, as long as a few didn't mind sleeping on a couch or a chair. If they had asked, Sophia would have informed them that this apartment was one of the many safe houses that the Zodaic's have scattered across the world. Of course, if asked where all these places were located at, she wouldn't divulge any more information than that. Now that the group had arrived a bit earlier than expected, Sophia decided to give everyone the rest of the day to relax, rest and mentally prepare themselves for this job.

During this time the group could have done a few things. Gone to some restaurants, casually looked around the area, shopped around for clothing best for this area (something that Sophia and Zephyr highly recommended, they even gave one of the more responsible looking members a good deal of cash to do just that, since not everyone had the appropriate clothing), they could have gotten some supplies that they felt would suit this kind of job, or merely stayed at the apartment to wait. It was their choice, none the less, no matter what they said or asked, the two agents refused to head out and start doing the mission (as the group had arrived in Cairo late afternoon/early evening). They claimed there was no point leaving so early and rushing without making sure everything was ready.

When the next day arrived, the agents woke everyone up early, whether they wanted to be awake at this time or not. Once a clock was looked at, they would see that the group had been woken up around 4. While many would not be happy about this, Zephyr didn't care, and Sophia apologized but did urge everyone to get ready. As they got ready, Zephyr and Sophia both monitored what the group chose to wear (Zephyr watching the men, and Sophia the woman). Anyone that attempted to wear dark clothing would be told to change immediately. Since such clothing would only cause issue to their health, if they wore it to where they were going. No short sleeves were allowed either, and everyone was expected to wear some kind of hat and glasses. Anyone that attempted to complain was just out right ignored by Zephyr, but of course Sophia did her best to explain the situation and why wearing clothing that was the opposite of what they requested would be horrible.

When 5 rolled around, two shuttle had arrived at their apartment and everyone was ushered on board. After who knows how much time passed, the shuttles came to a stop at the outskirts of the city. Once the group left, Sophia paid the drivers while Zephyr walked to a garage that was on the road they were currently standing on.

With them being on the very outskirts of the city, the area they were at was practically deserted. The sun was just rising overhead, yet it was still rather warm (not baking yet). The area looked a bit rundown and no one was up and about as of yet. Even the garage that Zephyr was heading to was still closed. If they looked away from the city, they would be greeted with sand as far as the eyes could see. Just dunes after dunes, and it was obvious that the group would soon be heading straight for that barren sandy hell.

"Everyone, please come here so I can go over everything that is about go happen!" Sophia called out as she gestured everyone to come over to her. Currently, she was standing in the middle of the parking lot that was connected to the garage. Now, just like the rest of the group she had changed from the outfit they had met her in, into something more suitable for the situation.

While she was doing that, Zephyr was standing in front of the door and continuously knocking on it, despite the fact that the sign said closed. None the less, with a dull look on his face, he just kept knocking, non stop as he waited.

The agents clothing

With this clothing both agents would have tan long sleeves shirts, and for Zephyr he would have a tan face mask that is just like his black one over his nose/mouth etc. He is not carrying those scrolls, and both have those hoods on. Along with that Sophia would have hand gun strapped to her waist, while Zephyr has no visible weapons and he seems pretty unarmed.

@Kazuaki Yoshioka @Solaresque @SolemnOath @Iceydaze @Wyborn @fol·ly·cle @xLarius @Kim @Arra Sails

 

[The Astronaut]

The last few days was a whirlwind of activities that Weisheng was both excited and a little discouraged. He enjoyed the idea of traveling to Cairo, it was one of his favorite city outside of China, so much history that he liked to geek out on when he was alone, but then he had to see Mari. Or what he assumed was Mari, something he didn't confirm because he quickly turned away and went to sleep cuddling with Munchie, better to sleep then face that problem head on. Weisheng wasn't one to question orders from his clan leader, if he was asked to do it, he would do it, but the problem with Mari was going to process if he gave it the opportunity. So he did what any mature adult would do in this situation. He drugged himself so that he slept through most of the flights and when he was awake he would call his Mother or another random family member.


It was uncharistic of him to do this, at least on this scale, but that's exactly what happened. He even tried to avoid the other members of the group, sitting away from them in first class and listening to music so that the window for conversation was at the smallest it could be. Even on the day they arrived in Cairo, Weisheng already had made plans so that he wouldn't have to be back at the compound till much later. Visiting all the normal tourist spots and of course buying tons and tons of things, clothes on clothes, and so many souvenirs that he planned on bringing home. Oddly enough this put Weisheng in a very good mood, especially considering he was going to be able to do cool spy stuff tomorrow.


So naturally when it was time to get to work, Weisheng was finally able to act himself.He awoke with a much brighter disposition than he had the last few days.He practically sprung out of bed, "Mission day in Cairo, this is going to be fun, don't you think?" He said to no one in general but anyone who cared to listen. Of course he slept in the nude, so probably the first thought from everyone else was for him to put some clothes on, but that wasn't going to stop him from his morning stretch that he had grown accustomed to back home. Maybe thirty minutes before leaving, Weisheng finally got dressed. There was no problem with him dressing appropriately since the clothes that he decided to wear were not much different than his clothes when he arrived. Wearing another grey thing, this time a much more suitable for the desert apparel.


Weisheng had a bright smile on his face as he sat next to Sophia. He had pretty much made it so that there was too options, either Zephyr or Sophia was going to sit next to him, either way he was going to bombard one of them with questions about their job and all the excitement that he presumed that would come along with it. Questions like, "So how much does it pay? Do you get paid?" or "So have you almost died and is the white hair part of the deal to being a spy?", and some other questions that had nothing at all to do with being spy, "So you can't be dating someone right now, this job probably has you going all over the place, which I assume makes it a little hard?" A silent shuttle ride to the location? Nope, wasn't going to happen with someone as excited and curious as Weisheng.


After arriving to the location Weisheng quickly quieted down, After this we should talk more and you can tell me more about all that cool agent stuff, if it isn't a bother?" He said getting off the shuttle and forming up with the rest of the group In his head he thought it was weird that they kinda treated them like children, not being much older than them, but ehh, the agents probably knew better. Looking back between Zephyr banging on the door and a few of the other zodiac he was kind of just standing there awkwardly.Thankfully, Eun-Jae's 'Not boyfriend' was standing next to him and he figured he'd talk to him to get to know him. So he started the conversation in the most discreet way possible, he bumped him gently, "Hey we haven't gotten to talk much if at all, but I'm Weisheng the pig representative, are you apart of Farm Squad?" He whispered to him, making sure not to disrupt Zephyr's banging on the door.

Location: Cairo,Egypt | Mentions: SolemnOath

 

[Captain808]

Tani- Rat
The night before
Tani Outfit​

"Boo!" Tani says appearing out of thin air next to Jake while he sat at the top of the apartments fire escape. When she notices it didn't faze him, she waves her hand infront of his face "hellooo, whats wrong with you? You haven't said anything since we left the ship, you dident even tell me my hair looked nice.... is it because of what happened back on the ship? Did you really think she would go home after yo.."
"Shutup" Jake snaps before glaring at Tani "Its none of my buisness,she can do what ever she wants, and if you think that pda crap is bothering me then your wrong" Jake says with a defensive tone making Tani smirk since she could tell it was bothering him. "Its ok" Tani says patting Jake's shoulder causing him to look at her with an annoyed look before shaking his head. "Go get some sleep, tommorow is going to be a long day"

"Now that i think about it" Tani says putting her finger on her chin as she pretended to think. "here we go"
"i was wondering why you switched seats with some one from low class, and when we went shopping you... ow ow! Ok ok I'll stop" Tani says when Jake pinches her cheek. "This isnt the time to be joking around, you should be focusing on tommorow" Jake says with a stern voice
"Anything thing can happen, for all we know, the wonder twins are leading us in to a trap even if they don't know it... just make sure you stay close, if things get violent you take cover and wait until its clear, keep your tracker on you , if we get separated Dissapear and activate it, you understand?" Jake says before pulling out a pistol and putting it into Tani's hands. "Why do i need this?!" Tani says with a startled tone.

"You need to make sure you can protect yourself if you have to, and since your a shit fighter your going to have to carry a firearm, you signed up ...hey hey! What are you doing?!" Jake says trying to stop Tani from throwing the gun off of the firescape "im not shooting anyone" Tani snaps after Jake manages to take the pistol back. "Stop treating me like a baby!"
"I just tried to give you a gun you idiot!, how is that treating you like a baby?!"
"Your a baby! Idiot!" "What are you tal.?"
"Only idiots would give a gun to a baby! Idiot!" "What?" "maybe if you stop acting like a baby you coul.."
"Your hair looks stupid" Jake says to stop Tani from continuing her pointless insults and scoffing loudly as she glared at Jake.
"Hmph Nice try idiot, There was like 50 people that admired my hair in the market today" She says flicking her hair "they were even calling me pretty in Egyption"

"Its Arabic idiot, and they probly thought you were a clown or something"
"Your just jealous because your not mahraj, And Your stupid!" Tani says standing back up and making her way down the fire escape . "mahraj MEANS CLOWN! STUPID!" Making Tani look back up at Jake and scream to the top of her lungs before continuing down the fire escape "your stupid". Jake takes a deep while he checks the pistol before holstering it "brat", "i am a Rat! Its my clan STUPID!" Tani yells from two story's down which lead to the both of them screaming insults at eachother as Tani until Tani made it to there apartment window.

Current day​

Tani slowly exits the shuttle and yawns before putting her small back pack on and walking towards the side of the building and crouches down in the shade and waits for everyone to exit the shuttles. when she see's Jake exit his shuttle, she glares at him before looking out towards the desert. "Im ignoring you" she says hearing his footsteps approch her. "He... hey what are you doing?" She says when Jake knees down behind her and opens her backpack. She remains quiet when Jake begins to fill her back pack with things from his own duffle bag. "Thanks" Tani says when he slides a Protein bar over her shoulder. "Do you think we are really going to find one of the Artifacts today" she says while opens her snack to eat it.

"Hard to say" Jake says moving to her side while he opens his canteen to take a sip of water. "Just keep your guard up, and stay hydrated" he says handing her his canteen before standing back up.
"Come on, there calling us" Jake says when he hears Sophia asking everyone to group up.

 

[Iceydaze]

Mari Igarashi

~ѕʜɪᴘ~​

Mari didn't succeed in dragging Zephyr over to the kitchen but he didn't boot her off the ship either. Accepted into this little operation with other undercover ninjas, Mari couldn't help but become elated. Her life until that point had felt like it had been wasted. Now that she had an actual purpose, she felt both relieved and anxious. Mari gave zephyr her complete attention, unwilling to so much as blink as she began questioning him about the scoop. What, when, where, why, how and so on; every subject Sophia and Zephyr already covered at the meeting had to be repeated. She even asked him about things that had absolutely nothing to do with their little quest, wanting to understand the person she'd be working with as much as possible. To Mari's dismay, Zephyr's lips were sealed.

After being dismissed, she couldn't help but grumble to herself. "How am I supposed to work with that guy if he won't even let me know his kinks? Everyone knows it's easier to get along when things get personal... Could it be he's into that?!" Gasping at such thoughts, Mari shook her head and decided to throw such things to the back of her head as she made her way around the ship, looking for the food. She even memorized the layout since they'd be stationed there until they reached land. Along the way she met many people but chose to bother them later after realizing she still had her bag on her. With a huff, she asked for directions and was led to one of the most comfortable beds she had ever laid on where she unexpectedly fell asleep.

The next few days would have been slow and easy going had Mari not chosen to go on a mission to get to know who each of the zodiacs were and interrogate them until she was satisfied. Many were less than inclined to fill her in on the big juicy details but at least she had acquired their names if anything. For some, a little alcohol was enough to get everything she wanted to know and then some. It was a pity the dog representative wouldn't allow the younger few to drink and eventually took her right away as soon as he realized she would probably try to get them drunk anyway.

She had to admit, these guys were all pretty zany one way or another and in her opinion, the best kind of people to work with. Looking over her list, the only person she was missing was the pig. Somehow, Mari never managed to meet up with Zhu. Even after hog calling out into the halls and making pig noises, he refused to see her. Mari had to call it quits when she lost her voice and instead chose to relax in the pool most of the time. Since the dog restricted her from touching any booze and she couldn't speak anyway, it wasn't as if there was any point in hanging out with people she'd be working with for the days to come.

~ᴘʟᴀɴᴇ~​

Weisheng finally revealed himself the day they arrived at the airport. One look at him and she understood why he would hide from her. If he was who she thought he was, it seemed fate had decided to play a game on them. Her little hunch was confirmed when she questioned Eun-Jae about the Pig's identity. 'Ah, so that's how it is.. ' Mari didn't feel the awkwardness or any pain people seemed to feel when they met their ex after a rough break up. Since he seemed to be doing well enough for himself, she chose to let him be and hung out with Hayate during the flight instead. Her voice was still hoarse so speaking was out of the question. It didn't mean she couldn't bother him though.

She texted away at her phone and used it to ask him personal questions throughout the ride ranging from what he planned on wearing, to what his ability was. That aside, it was still a pretty quiet ride. At some point she gave up on trying to have a conversation with Hayate and played games on her phone instead. By the time they landed she was fast asleep and had to be shaken awake to actually get where they needed to go.

~ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ~​

When she got to the apartment, she was more than happy to choose the large beanbag chair in the corner as her bed. In any case, as one of the shorter members, it would be a waste for her to take up a bed in the first place. However, she didn't waste time sleeping. She went out with the others to shop and eat. When it came to the store run, the first thing she found was a black shawl. Even with her guilt inducing puppy dog eyes, Sophia still ended up suggesting a change. Mari then chose a shawl a shade lighter only to get the same result.

The process continued until she found a thin white cardigan that she could layer over a tank top or something. In the corner of her eye, she spotted a white hooded shawl she could use to cover her head in place of a dumb hat. "Perfect! I can totally pull this off!" since she could just use any random pair of pants and a pair of combat boots she already brought with her, Mari decided to be merciful towards Sophia and cut her clothes shopping trip short. Next came the bigger issue, what to bring with her. She grabbed two canteens, a small backpack that wouldn't get in the way and a holster for a firearm along with a couple for hidden blades. She wasn't sure if they'd be of use since she had no clue how to use either due to Issac's spotty training, but at least she'd be prepared. At the end of the day she was pooped and slept soundly on the beanbag chair.

~ѕʜᴜᴛᴛʟᴇ>ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ~​

The shuttle ride was another somewhat quiet one for the most part. Everyone had their own feelings about the trip. Whether they were eager, anxious, or simply dreading the whole thing, no one really knew what to expect. Mari was bubbling with anticipation and swayed happily in her seat, humming along with the music playing in her headphones. She stopped every now and then to ask if they were there yet occasionally but kept her mouth shut otherwise. Once they arrived at the location, she gathered up with the rest and watched Zephyr knock away at the door without immediate results. "Want me to break it down?"

---

Location:
Role:
Interactions:

Somewhere
Ox
Zephyr&Sophia
basically mentioned everyone else

 

[SolemnOath]

Alex Williams
The Sheep ​

(On the ship)
The laptop turned on with complete ease, once it did he simply typed in his password (though the length of it was rather unnecessary). Once he did, he opened a few things to see what exactly this hard drive did. "Ah, that's useful." With a light nod to himself about this he took a small breath and with that went to a website that allowed high quality video calls. When he got here he was silent for a moment as he just starred at the website, his cursor hovering over a familiar username. 'Its going to be okay....he'll understand just, I just cant hide anything.....' His eyes once more glancing over at the clock, he bit the inside of his lip ever so softly. 'Maybe he's asleep? Its pretty late there, it....it might be best if I call him in the morning or...or some other time. Not like I have good news I sh.....' Hanging his head as he tried to figure out what to do, his eyes were drawn to a messanger app that was at the bottom of his task bar.

Only now, did he notice the flashing icon, a sign that someone had messaged him. Which wasn't anything all that special, for he had a few people who knew his private messenger. Namely other streamers he liked, just for chatting or to plan some kind of collaboration, there was also a few people from the clan, who weren't jackasses that had it. However....he the messages he had received...and even now were receiving didn't belong to them. There was already 15...no wait 17 messages that he had yet to look at.....20..... His messenger was getting spammed, and he knew why.

With a pit now growing in his stomach he had to hold it with his free hand, as he was now feeling genuinely sick. Which was stupid without a doubt, after all....he should be happy. He should be delighted that he was getting to many messages, after all, it was just his lover trying to check up on him. Likely worried about his silence, after all it was rare for Alex to ever miss a set deadline to contact Carter. 'I should be happy, so many messages from him, he must be worried. Probably pissed as well, though...he has ever right to be mad at me.....' Ever so softly gulping, he finally moved his cursor and clicked on the messenger.

As soon as it opened, his eyes went to his lover chat, and there he only confirmed what he already knew. All 96 messages were in fact from Carter. Not wanting to fuck things up even more, he clicked on the chat, which showed the oldest message.

'I know its a bit early, but are you here? Figured you would have called by now, make sure to get back to me when you can' (Received 1 hour, 35 minutes ago)

A pretty normal, calm message, however, this trend didn't stick in the least. As Alex scrolled down, he silently read over each message, each one getting more hostile than the last with every passing minute.

'Alex! Its ten minutes past the time! Where the fuck are you?? I bet you forgot the time didn't you??? Call me already.' (Received 1 hour and 20 minutes ago)

'Are you trying to fucking piss me off!? You are doing a damn good job at it! Hurry up and call me, and turn your damn phone on!' (received 1 and 10 minutes ago)

'I am trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you are seriously pushing it right now! If you dont call me in the next 10 minutes I swear to all hells! (received 1 hour ago)

'.....Do you think this is funny?' (received 50 minutes ago)

'Do you find it fucking hilarious to keep me waiting?' (Received 50 minutes ago)

'I bet you are sitting there reading all these messages aren't you?' (Received 50 minutes ago)

'You having fun laughing at me? Is that it?' (Received 49 minutes ago)

'Cunt' (Received 49 minutes ago)

'Alex, answer me....this isn't funny. Do you hate me or something? I didn't even do anything wrong, why wont you answer me already? I know you are on your laptop....how can you ignore me after everything I've done? You cant hate me can you? Just....just answer already.' (received 30 minutes ago)

'Are you cheating me on me???? You are never this long off your fucking laptop!' (Received 21 minutes ago)

'Alex' (Received 20 minutes ago)

'You better, have the best explanation in the world for keeping me waiting this long' (Received 10 minutes ago)

'If you dont, if you give me some stupid ass excuse, some pathetic by the book lie.' (Received 10 minutes ago)

'You know, just because I'm not there, doesn't mean I cant do anything to you.' (Received 10 minutes ago)

'I bet you think you are on top of the world, did you think you could just run away from me? I love you, so much.' (Received 9 minutes ago)

'I. Love. You. So. Fucking. Much. You know that right?' (Received 9 minutes ago)

"You know, I will chase you to the ends of the earth to get you in my hold again. So I can embrace you, love you...' (received 9 minutes ago)

'But once I get my hold on you~' (Received 8 minutes ago)

'I'm going to make sure to hurt you~' (Received 8 minutes ago)

'Hurt your arms~' (Received 8 minutes ago)

'Your legs~~' (Received 8 minutes ago)

'Every. Fucking. Part. Of. Your. Whore. Body~' (Received 7 minutes ago)

'Except your face~' (Received 7 minutes ago)

'If you beg enough~ Maybe I wont hurt your hands~ Cant have you get completely out of work~' (Received 7 minutes ago)

'Every part of you belongs to me, dont forget that. Just because you wont answer, doesn't mean I just stupid existing~~' (Received 6 minutes ago)

'Going to keep ignoring me huh?' (Received 6 minutes ago)

'Fine.' (Received 6 minutes ago)

'Suit yourself.' (Received 5 minutes ago)

'Keep silent, I'm going out to get some more fucking drinks.' (Received 5 minutes ago)

'Drank all I had cause of you worrying me cunt.' (Received 5 minutes ago)

'Fucking useless sometimes you know that?' (Received 4 minutes ago)

'Dont worry love, once you and I are back together~ I'll make sure you can never ignore me again~' (Received 2 minutes ago)

Silence

Alex said nothing, but his expression said it all. He was scared...horrified. Yes, he was on a boat in the middle of the ocean...but...it was temporary he....he... "I messed up." Gulping a bit, he clicked on the chat box, only for his fingers to hover over the keys for a moment as he tried to figure out what to type. A good five minutes passed before he finally wrote something.

'I'm sorry.'(Received now)

After writing this he sat in his spot, waiting, three minutes, five minutes, ten minutes, nothing. 'He must still be out shopping...'

'I'm really sorry, the meeting went on for a long time, and I was talking to these people and lost track of time. I didn't mean to make you worry I just.....I'm sorry. Please dont be angry at me, I wasn't trying to ignore you I swear.' (Received now)

'You, must be shopping still. Or did you pass out on the couch? I have to go soon, but....before I do. The people that are leading this told me, I'll be here longer than I thought... Honestly! I dont know when I'll be back but.... It might be a week, maybe more or less. I'll let you know once they can confirm something, okay?' (Received now)

A moment of silence, Alex let out a light sigh as he let his fingers go across the keyboard once more.

'I'm honestly so sorry, please dont be too angry. I have to go again, dont forget your hangover medicine is in the nightstand, and I think there is still some dinner from before that should help your head pains. I love you, please sleep well.'(Received now)

Once this message was sent Alex shut the laptop, and placed it right back into his bag. No words left him as he went back to bed and just curled into a tight, soundless ball. His minding filled with worry, fear, anxiety, and a plethora of other things. Concerning both the job at hand and Carter. All this stress only increased, but after two hours of just starring at a wall, he managed to pass out.

(Present day)

The next few days went by in a moment for Alex, namely due to the fact he wasn't all there for the most part. While he did as he was told, he wasn't paying much attention to anything going on. He seemed rather zoned out all in all. If the agents hadn't been watching them like a hawk, Alex would have lost his laptop and several other things without a doubt. For the most part, the sheep Zodiac remained in the middle of the group, though was sure to avoid any conversation by burying his face into his fixed scarf that was once more wrapped loosely around his neck.

When they arrived at the apartment, Alex went out merely to get more fitting clothes and nothing else. For the most part he remained inside just messing with his computer, and checking his messages...something he never got a response on. Which of course brought him massive concern, though he never voiced it. After all, why should he bother others with his issues? It was merely a lover spat anyway.

Once it was time for them all to leave, he just got dressed and ready like he was told to do. He didn't bring his computer with him this time around, though he did have his cellphone, as well as a few weapons, for a just incase scenario. Getting into the Van, he choose to sit in the middle, but avoided any kind of conversation like he had done the pervious days. Upon arriving he slipped out of the van and quietly moved over to where Sophia had beckoned the group to converge at. Though it didn't seem like everyone was doing as asked right off the bat. Not wanting to cause any more trouble for anyone, he just did as requested, and now stood a few feet away, and merely waited in silence, once more burying his face in his scarf (an item of which he was extraordinarily insistent on keeping with him).
@SolemnOath @Anyone

 

[Queen Sonia]

-On the Ship-
Mai yelped when he flicked her forehead, she stared at him for a while taking in everything he had said. "I...I don't know what to do" she said wanting to cry again. "Why did this had to happen now? Why did he have to do this now? When everything else is falling apart" she said. "I don't even know if I still want to go to this mission. If I can't even handle this, how am I strong enough to fight?" she said softly. "How am I strong enough to do anything when I react this way?" she said. As she thought more and more of this she could see that she was being selfish. She wasn't going to back out of this not when she was needed here. "Thank you," she said. "I mean for kicking me in the butt and helping me to get focus," she said looking up at him with a small smile.

-Present day-
Mai for the past two days did not once get a phone. She did not want to even see the messages her mother left for her. She didn't want to deal with any of her personal problems at the moment. She was focused on her job and her duty to this world. She would have time to cry and whine when the world was safe. Despite being focused on her goal of being part of the team it was quite hard with Percival being so cuddly towards her. She supposes it wasn't too bad it was nice to have a friend with her.

When the day came for them to wake up early Mai felt pretty good. She was a morning person so this was nothing to her. Heading to the spot Sophia asked them to stand in she looked around at the others. It was a pretty calm travel at least for her. She was a bit hot despite wearing a desert outfit. She didn't do well in the heat.

Desert Outfit

 

[xLarius]

❀Ying Yue Fēng❀
The Rabbit
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If Ying Yue didn't have to pay for the airplane ride she would certainly buy a plane ticket worth of food. She had to admit, she wasn't too fond of the lengthy transportation that involved being trapped in a small area. It was convenient that she hadn't had to deal with what she had to when she was a small child- The other whiny children. The bun- rabbit, representative was practically radiating excitement although she had to admit her relatives would not approve of her "vacation". Internally she wept being that her vacation time was never spent on actual luxuries but instead used because she had stayed up late the night before. No more of the luxury named sleep. She'd allow herself to worry about that latter though. Ying Yue had to remember to focus on only one thing, snacks. If she didn't focus on this central topic she'd find herself thinking about all the things that could go wrong, and the fact that this may be her artifact. Well that and this wasn't at all a normal vacation. On the other hand Ying Yue would treat it as such until the appropriate time.

On the plane ride she found herself yet again with her sketchbook, it wasn't easy to reach out to the others as some already had tight bonds- Some she just felt uncomfortable around. She tried her best to block out the incident, perhaps she could face some of the others... Just not the main victim of the accident. Ying Yue had never traveled to Cairo, she tried to stay on the bright side that it'd make the trip that much more exciting. It was a bit overwhelming she had to admit. Many times she found herself spacing out and having being nudged or scolded by one of the agents.

When they reached their destination Ying Yue had an inappropriate amount of granola bars shoved into her bag and the will of a fish on dry land. So in a nutshell things for Ying Yue were going better then she expected. There was a particular thing the rabbit representative had noticed when the strange group had come together. Ying Yue would have mildly understood if they were travelling to an arctic region, the whole discrepancy key was important to a great handful of people. Perhaps it was just popular trend in a foreign region. Well whatever it was, Ying Yue was fully grateful they didn't plan some sort of "everyone dye your hair white so we can find you in a mob of people" sort of thing. Even if it was planned, when she returned home it wasn't like she had the time for it.

She enjoyed the place they took residence in. It was comfortable enough without becoming suffocating. The perfect size. When they were encouraged to wander on their own she decided to take the opportunity and run wild. More like sit against the wall and try to wrap up the best of her sketches of a landscape. Eventually she became bored and went out to do some minor shopping making sure to get her clothes double checked by specifically Sophia. Ying Yue didn't know how comfortable she was about asking "Zephyr" about "simple trifle" things like clothing. She had claimed the area of the room to lay out the items from her backpack being careful about warding others away from the fragile photos. Ying Yue had spoiled herself with lucky candies to roll along her tongue as she laid out pictures from her Polaroid to send to her father.

It was soothing to know that they could take a moment to slow things down, to simply indulge in their surroundings per say. Ying Yue didn't think much of the deserts unpredictability and could only imagine what laid ahead.

Perhaps the moment finally sunk in. She had to take responsibility for her actions at any cost. After all if the agents that had been deployed did the same she hadn't a choice in the matter did she? It didn't mean she was any less anxious.

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The Next Day​

She twiddled her thumbs considering all the possibilities that they could run into. She never knew that out of all the years that would pass it would be her year. She considered in a joking manner that perhaps the year of the dog was cursed. Of course she was a bit moody but also had a lack of overall reflex reaction. The rabbit representative didn't know how useful she could be in the situation but decided to bask in her self pity rather than tire herself out by warding away those thoughts. She wasn't sure if it was the time of day but everyone was silent in their own right. The more cheerful ones seemed tempted to rip open the door and simply run to their destination. Speaking of cheerful ones- She remembered the woman- girl- person- who had eagerly started to interrogate her at a fast pace. It seemed that two of the previous members had decided to switch. In the morning he seemed to talk to himself- Delusional or perhaps habit of having someone to talk to in the morn? Whatever the circumstances it was probably a detail that she didn't need to memorize.

Her eyes widened at the path they had to cross. The rabbit representative wasn't too sure how they could all survive the trip. Ying Yue should've quit while she was ahead knowing all she'd do is weigh them down. She'd rather receive the hatred of practical strangers rather than her family though. She let out a sigh before exiting the shuttle. She stretched before straightening out her sunglasses. If she wasn't involved and this had been some sort of action film she would have giggled at the expression of which Zephyr had knocked on the door. Like this was your everyday "could I borrow some sugar" request. She took a deep breath before murmuring under her breath, "One more day."

She then decided to walk up to someone who looked a bit more open to chatter- more like wasn't engulfed in exhaustion although Ying Yue herself wasn't doing too hot. Although Ying Yue kept her voice hushed at least she could say she tried, "Good morning, how was your day yesterday? I hope you don't mind my company especially this early in the day." Although she was the first to speak out she was trying hard not to simply pull back and mind her own business. Especially at this time where "socializing" may or may not have been appropriate to some individuals. Ying Yue also knew that it was important to at least start a small bond of trust with someone as the missions probably teetered on the balance of the whole matter.

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Interactions:
Mai Allen x @Kim ​

 

[Vitreus]

Hayate Kurotama ||

|| The Rooster
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To be succinct in address, it wasn't exactly a horrid trip for Hayate to bear. First-class flights, a comfortable bed to sleep in, exotic restaurants and (perhaps most wonderful and luxurious of all) a window of time in which to relax was all the Rooster needed to prepare well, mentally and physically, for the coming mission. Being roused at four in the morning the following day, while not a pleasant ordeal, did not bother the male so much as it was not something he was unused to, although he was sure to brew for himself a thermos flask of lemon-ginger tea with which to start his day. He needed to be sharp for this.

Indeed, Hayate had done well to prepare for this expedition on almost all fronts. In fact, despite a very characteristic change in environment, a sort one might even consider retrograde in kind, Hayate had not thought to sacrifice his superfluous sense of style in the least. It seemed the time he'd been allowed to go shopping for appropriate clothing had been very much appreciated by the representative of the Rooster clan; while Hayate had the curtesy to utilize his own funds for this purpose (carrying four credit cards around on your person allowed you that sort of liberty), he had not at all been miserly in his spending. It's a pain identifying the high-end brands attributed to each item of clothing he somehow procured for this mission, but trust me as I say you would think him a fool for donning apparel so expensive when it was sure to be dirtied or ruined by the harsh environment they would come to endure. Outrageous, to say the least.

In any case, independent of financial matters, quality and practicality appeared to the key features in the Rooster's style of dress prepared for the mission ahead; a white chemise drawn over a thin, white undershirt of breathable material, khaki bottoms, garrison boots, and a kind of sun hat accompanied with a cloth face-shield. The sunglasses he wore were undoubtedly designer shades of some sort, but were nevertheless useful from a practical perspective. And Hayate was most certainly slathered in sunscreen, with the highest SPF rating he could lay his hands on. The weather appeared kind on him now, but he was sure to burn redder than a tomato without taking necessary precautions in anticipation of the midday sun that was yet to peak.

The last noteworthy item he took for the sake of this mission was not as a means of protecting himself from the climate, but from a grim kind of possibility, a more serious threat. It seemed Hayate had also thought to obtain a handgun for himself; a singular pistol, holstered securely at his belt. It was not a weapon he was unused to handling but neither was he hoping to put it to use. It was merely a necessary precaution, is all.

Abandoning the shuttle as it halted upon reaching their near-barren destination, Hayate quietly remained with the group as the agents went about their duties and he focused instead on the unpromising stretch of sand that lay ahead. Was this where they were so far headed? Averting his gaze from the dusty little scene they'd arrived upon, the man trudged over to stand nearer to Sophia as requested, awaiting new directions, explanations or orders. Standing idly about at the outskirts of Cairo, the simple luxuries and sense of security they'd grown used to over the course of their travels had started to fade from Hayate's mind. Reluctant as he was to acknowledge such a distasteful thing, life was sure to get tougher from here on out, he could sense it.​

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"How exciting," Hayate murmured as he fixed the sleeves of his white chemise- it was an essentially sarcastic comment, but didn't seem very scathing when overshadowed by an irrefutable awe for the golden horizon that stretched endlessly on ahead. Hayate was much more used to cold, populated, oftentimes headache-inducing cityscapes, so this proved to be a strange, although not entirely unwelcome change of scenery...

That didn't make the mission ahead appear any less ominous, however. He couldn't begin to imagine what sorts of business they had in what appeared to be the beginnings of a journey to the middle of nowhere. Hayate would hate to lose his way out here; in the absence of any reliable GPS signal, one wouldn't know where to go.​